Galatea (mythology)
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| Greek deities series | |
|---|---|
| Primordial deities | |
| Titans and Olympians | |
| Chthonic deities | |
| Personified concepts | |
| Other deities | |
| Aquatic deities | |
In Greek mythology, Galatea ("she who is milk-white") was the name of a Sicilian Nereid (i.e.: a sea-nymph) loved by the Cyclops Polyphemus. She, however, loved a Sicilian youth named Acis, whom Polyphemus killed with a boulder in a jealous rage. Distraught, Galatea turned his blood into the river Acis in Sicily. Galatea was essentially one of the fifty Sirens.
In the story from Roman mythology, she is often named as the statue of Pygmalion that was brought to life by Venus. Pygmalion was the king of an island called Cyprus. He was not only a wise ruler but a gifted sculptor. He once sculpted a perfect maiden. He eventually fell in love with the statue. He prayed to Venus that the ivory of the statue would turn to flesh. She granted his wish. They fell in love and were happily married. The story comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses; however, the statue is never actually named in Ovid's poem, and the name Galatea was given at some unknown later date.
Cited by John Gower in book II of his 'Confessio Amantis', which concerns the subject of Envy.
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